PH Meter

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Does anyone have one of these and did you get a faulty one? Ours will not turn on but we get a flashing error message. We have changed the batteries, made sure they’re in the right way, and watched a YouTube video tutorial but still no luck. Looks like I’ll have to return. So annoyed. That’s ruined our brew day

 

[DocAnna]

That's an awful shame - that looks a very smart version too. I have a pH meter which sadly I dropped and slightly damaged the LCD which was entirely my fault. It's still readable just but a bit upsetting. I do wonder with yours whether the probe needs soaked for a few hours, the probe on the more expensive type of meters typically has an absorbent part that needs soaked in buffer or tap water - not distilled water - for a few hours initially to condition it. This only needs done from new or if it has been stored dry. For storage, there should be a little fluid kept in the cap to keep the probe from drying out.

Anna

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Thanks Anna, we will try that. We have soaked for 15 minutes as per the instructions but that didn't work so your suggestion may be better.

 

[Duffmann]

I have the exact same one. Just turned it on, checked if it works with the calibration solutions and used it.

Important: just press the power button once and shortly ... If you press to long you will enter the configuration menu or so. Happens to me still after 8 brews with it.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Done all that duffman but mine is broken. Pressed short, long, inside, outside and back to front but still not working. It’s as dead as a door nail. Uffff! So bloody annoying!

 

[nickjdavis]

At the end of the day though it shouldn't impact upon your brewday.

In all practicalities....once you have cooled your sample (assuming you take the sample at around 10 minutes into the mash) to 20 degrees there is virtually nothing you can do to subsequently make changes to alter the mash pH to get it in the desired range....all you can do is use the reading to make adjustments in the next brewday.

 

[Ronin56]

Showing my ignorance once again but what do you use a pH meter for other than making sure your Starsan is still effective? I presume this is a grain brewing thing?

 

[foxbat]

Showing my ignorance once again but what do you use a pH meter for other than making sure your Starsan is still effective? I presume this is a grain brewing thing?

It's an optional step in all-grain brewing where you can check that the pH of the mash is within the expected range.

 

[Mayor of Simpleton]

That is a shame but as others have said it shouldn't ruin your brew day. I usually just check pH of my mash as a means of making sure I haven't missed anything with my water or grain additions. I compare my pH with expected pH given by Beersmith. I quite often forget to check it though!

What is the error code? I have an Apera one similar to that and have been really happy with it. I found the instructions that came with it terrible though. Fortunately there were good online tutorials.

 

[clyne]

I've been toying with a pH meter, but wondered whether the extra effort with a digital meter outweighs the more simple (if less accurate) pH strips for beer?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Cheap or expensive pH meter you must keep the sensor part in the special liquid to keep it hydrated. Don't keep it moist with water or acid you will wreck it.

If you aren't using it regularly recalibrate before use.

Theres a lot of peace of mind in ignorance though. If you assume it's correct based on your ingredients and the software I normally find it is.

Was fun to use it on a philly sour brew to monitor the ferment.

 

[Mayor of Simpleton]

I started out with pH strips but didn't get on with them for some reason so switched to a meter. I am sure it's just me and most get on fine with strips.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

So we've sent the PH meter back to Amazon and got a refund, so (maybe foolishly) we've ordered the same one again. I think we just had bad luck and got a dud one or one that had been manhandled. They better not send the same one back to us!

 

[Brew_DD2]

I've been toying with a pH meter, but wondered whether the extra effort with a digital meter outweighs the more simple (if less accurate) pH strips for beer?

I was using a pH meter for years, but switched over to using enteral pH strips (that are used to measure the pH of gastric aspirate.) They measure in 0.5 increments and are accurate enough for measuring mash pH.

 

[The Baron]

Well contrary to things I have read on the tinterweb etc I have been using a cheap PH meter under £10 and never kept it in the recommended solution and it may not be exactly accurate but I get readings within the tolerances I would expect of 0.1.
When I calibrate mine which is not all the time I use the solutions provided that calibrate to 6.9 and it is never more than 0.1 point out so for most homebrewers it is well accurate enough IMO

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Mine was £40 but like you say if the cheaper ones do the job then why not? Yet to trial the accuracy of mine though!

 

[The Baron]

Mine was £40 but like you say if the cheaper ones do the job then why not? Yet to trial the accuracy of mine though!

Hi Lisa for most brewers you do not need to be exactly accurate as the mash sweet spot is 5.2 to5.7 so a PH Meter that is only 0.1 point out is good enough.
If you want to measure your PH to 2 decimal points it starts to become anal and a very expensive piece of kit.
People need to not lose the site of standard homebrewers needs and become slaves to the latest tech that is sometimes not essential as we (homebrewers generally only use it for mash or sour beers)

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Yes I agree to a point but I also think it is the individual's choice of whether they feel they need one, and if they do, how much they can afford to spend. I'm a tech head and so I wanted to get the most sophisticated one that I could afford. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[An Ankoù]

Mash pH, sparge pH. run off pH, fermentation pH, bottling pH. Who gives a rancid dingo's kidney? I'm a tech freak and I got a plastic bucket fermenter with a lid that actually fits. Used to have one without a lid and tied a tea-towel over the top. In retrospect, I think the tea-towel system made better-tasting beer.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Completely disagree.